Technical Facilitation- Housing Evidence and Policy. Standish, Wigan, Lancashire

Transcription

1 Town Planning Submitted to Standish Voice, Wigan, Lancashire Submitted by AECOM 6-8 Greencoat Place London SW1P 1PL March 2016 Technical Facilitation- Housing Evidence and Policy Standish, Wigan, Lancashire March 2016 Final Report

2 AECOM 2 Contents Glossary... 3 Executive Summary Introduction Housing numbers at Standish Housing type at Standish Position of Wigan Council Current housing need evidence base Conclusions, recommendations and next steps Limitations AECOM Infrastructure & Environment UK Limited ( AECOM ) has prepared this Report for the sole use of Standish Voice ( Client ) in accordance with the Agreement under which our services were performed. No other warranty, expressed or implied, is made as to the professional advice included in this Report or any other services provided by AECOM. Where the conclusions and recommendations contained in this Report are based upon information provided by others it is upon the assumption that all relevant information has been provided by those parties from whom it has been requested and that such information is accurate. Information obtained by AECOM has not been independently verified by AECOM, unless otherwise stated in the Report. The methodology adopted and the sources of information used by AECOM in providing its services are outlined in this Report. The work described in this Report was undertaken in the period January 2016 to and is based on the conditions encountered and the information available during the said period of time. The scope of this Report and the services are accordingly factually limited by these circumstances. Where assessments of works or costs identified in this Report are made, such assessments are based upon the information available at the time and where appropriate are subject to further investigations or information which may become available. AECOM disclaim any undertaking or obligation to advise any person of any change in any matter affecting the Report, which may come or be brought to AECOM s attention after the date of the Report. Certain statements made in the Report that are not historical facts may constitute estimates, projections or other forwardlooking statements and even though they are based on reasonable assumptions as of the date of the Report, such forward-looking statements by their nature involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results predicted. AECOM specifically does not guarantee or warrant any estimate or projections contained in this Report. Where field investigations are carried out, these have been restricted to a level of detail required to meet the stated objectives of the services. The results of any measurements taken may vary spatially or with time and further confirmatory measurements should be made after any significant delay in issuing this Report. Copyright This Report is the copyright of AECOM Infrastructure & Environment UK Limited. Any unauthorised reproduction or usage by any person other than the addressee is strictly prohibited.

3 AECOM 3 Project Role Name Position Actions Summary Signature Date Project Manager Jesse Honey Principal Planner Developed draft text 10/02/2016 Director/QA Una Mcgaughrin Technical Director QA of draft for comment Confirmed via e- mail 11/02/16 Qualifying Body Gill Foster Chair, Standish Voice Co-ordinated Standish Voice inputs and comments Confirmed via- 29/02/16 Project Coordinator Ffion Batcup Housing Needs Advice coordinator Reviewed final report 01/03/16 Glossary CPRE DCLG HCA NPPF ONS PPG SHMA SHLAA SIA SV Campaign to Protect Rural England Department for Communities and Local Government Homes and Communities Agency National Planning Policy Framework Office for National Statistics Planning Practice Guidance Strategic Housing Market Assessment Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment Standish Infrastructure Assessment Standish Voice

4 AECOM 4 Executive Summary 1. Standish Voice (henceforth SV), as the Neighbourhood Forum for Standish in Lancashire, has commissioned AECOM to investigate the factors driving housing growth in the village. This project comprises a necessary evidence-gathering stage (known as Technical Facilitation) ahead of a full neighbourhood-level housing need assessment (HNA). 2. The reason why the Technical Facilitation is necessary is that housing development at Standish in recent years has been very active. The level of development, Wigan Council s response to that development and the types of housing that were delivered all require further investigation to provide a basic understanding of the baseline situation for a future HNA. 3. Our conversations with SV raised the following questions, which we will seek to answer in the report: Why has permission been granted, both by Wigan Council and the Planning Inspectorate, for more than 1,000 units at Standish if the Core Strategy target is 1,000? What are the drivers behind the production of Wigan s draft SHMA given that the Core Strategy was adopted relatively recently? Why has so much executive housing been provided and has either the Planning Inspectorate or Wigan Council expressed any kind of concern about this? If so, what have they said - if not, why not? When does the existing SHMA date from, and to what extent did it inform the recent permissions and appeal? Are Wigan open to sharing of relevant information on the forthcoming SHMA to assist our housing needs assessment and enable us to start earlier? 4. In researching the answers to these questions, we reviewed all relevant documents and spoke to Wigan Council. We found that in terms of housing numbers, at the Wigan Core Strategy Examination in Public (EiP), the Inspector noted (paragraph 28 of his Report) 1 that a target of 1,000 new houses at Standish would provide the opportunity for affordable housing meeting Standish s need to be provided locally. 5. A conversation with David Kearsley, Principal Planner at Wigan Council, subsequently confirmed that two recent applications that were refused (then allowed at appeal) were refused by the Council on the grounds that permitting them would exceed the Core Strategy target. A review of both appeal decisions showed that the key factor in the Inspector allowing the appeals was that the Council was unable, at the time of the appeal, to demonstrate a five-year supply of land allocated for housing development. 6. According to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) paragraph 47, a local authority unable to demonstrate a five-year supply is vulnerable to speculative developer applications, as at that point, the NPPF s presumption in favour of sustainable development is triggered. 1 Available online at Inspectors-Report-pdf.pdf

5 AECOM 5 7. What is notable is that there was no discussion of housing types at either appeal, as the issues considered focused more on housing numbers and the spatial distribution of those houses. 8. Having discussed the situation with the Council, it appears that they are almost as frustrated with the outcome of the appeals as Standish Voice. AECOM spoke to David Kearsley, the Council s Principal Planning Officer, who stated that the preparation of the emerging Wigan SHMA was driven in part by the recognition that, as highlighted by these lost appeals, more upto-date and detailed evidence on housing need across the Borough was required, particularly given that the previous best available evidence was the Greater Manchester SHMA Update The Council has summarised its position on future development on Standish in a new Policy H3: Further Housing Development in Standish in its emerging Allocations and Development Management Local Plan 3. Policy H3 states that: Further housing development on safeguarded land in Standish will only be permitted if: 1. 80% of the homes already permitted on safeguarded land as at 13 October 2015 have been developed and occupied in line with their respective planning permissions, 2. All of the necessary infrastructure works required through legal agreements for that level of housing have been completed and implemented, and 3. It is demonstrably evidenced that further housing development can be accommodated across the full range of transport, health, education, open space, community and utility infrastructure without detriment to the character and well-being of Standish as a viable place to live, work and visit. Prior to any additional development on remaining safeguarded land at Rectory Lane (south), a strategic green infrastructure corridor shall be provided between Rectory Lane and Fairhurst Lane, linking to the open space at the former Victoria Colliery site. 10. The current housing need evidence base for Standish consists of the 2010 Greater Manchester SHMA Update and the emerging 2016 Wigan SHMA. 11. The Greater Manchester SHMA Update, though very high-level and as such not mentioning Standish by name, includes a number of conclusions of relevance that SV could in fact deploy immediately to argue for a more appropriate housing mix for applications where it is yet to be determined. Its conclusions do not appear particularly supportive of large-scale provision of high-end executive/family housing in the sense that they include the following: (page 56) There is a continued need to diversify the housing offer available; (page 56) Demand for social rented stock remains high and in particular for family accommodation; supply is not meeting this demand however (page 57) Bridging the affordability gap should remain as a priority for Greater Manchester. Despite significant falls in average house prices, the lack of accessible finance means that in practice housing remains unaffordable for many. 12. More specifically for Wigan, the SHMA Update notes: 2 Available online at ma_update_may_2010.pdf 3 Available online at

6 AECOM 6 (page 26) Wigan consistently has the lowest average house prices for detached properties (which could be an indicator of low demand, high supply or both- either way, it factors against further large-scale provision of detached properties); (page 36) Wigan has the highest proportion of semi-detached properties in Greater Manchester (46.5%) but the lowest proportion of flats (7.5%) (page 37) Wigan has the highest proportion of 5-6 room houses in Greater Manchester (58.4%) but less than the GM average provision of 1-4 room houses- indeed, Wigan has the lowest level of 1-2 bedroom houses in Greater Manchester. 13. The emerging Wigan SHMA 4 and its specific implications for development at Standish will be interrogated fully as part of Standish s forthcoming Housing Needs Assessment. However, the most important point for Standish is the SHMA s general conclusion (pages 204 and 205) that states: the homes delivered need to be suitable for the needs of all households in the borough. The assessment has shown a range of housing need, including single people, families with children, and the elderly and vulnerable groups. The average household size in the borough is reducing and there is now a growing mismatch between the supply of homes and reducing family size.the predominant house type in the borough is three bedroom semi-detached and the majority of new delivery is of larger family sized homes which will not meet the needs of smaller households. A high proportion of pensioner households are living in large houses which may be better suited to families with children. Consultation with estate agents has confirmed that many older households are keen to downsize, for both financial and quality of life reasons, but are frustrated by the lack of attractive down-sizing options available locally.. as the proportion of older people in Wigan increases, so will their level of housing need. An ageing population will also increase demand for housing related support and other health and social care services to enable older residents to remain in their own homes for longer. It is therefore important to promote the development of suitable housing tenures and types, including specialist supported housing solutions, to meet the needs of our ageing population and to mitigate some of the increases in demand for these services. Therefore, there will need to be a greater need for smaller accommodation of the type to meet future households needs, particularly elderly households.options to address these challenges include: Promoting the development of independent living options for older people, including specialist and supported housing solutions that offer more cost effective and better quality care solutions. Expand support services and aids and adaptations to enable older people to remain in their own homes for longer Influence house builders to include a better mix of housing on new developments, including the provision of attractive down-sizing options, including bungalows to better match housing supply to housing need. 14. Based on the evidence uncovered in this report, AECOM propose nine key recommendations for Standish Voice in respect of housing need and emerging Neighbourhood Plan housing policy at Standish as follows: 4 Available online at

7 AECOM 7 Recommendation 1: Apply for the Housing Needs Assessment package through Locality Recommendation 2: Aim to help and support Wigan Council in demonstrating a five-year housing land supply Recommendation 3: Consider an upper limit of development scale policy Recommendation 4: Comment on Reserved Matters applications to influence type of housing developed Recommendation 5: Argue that further development would not accord with the NPPF Recommendation 6: Highlight supply-side constraints Recommendation 7: Lobby the Council to develop an updated Standish Infrastructure Assessment Recommendation 8: Continue working closely with and sharing information with Wigan Council Recommendation 9: Consider instigating judicial review of any further successful appeals

8 AECOM 8 1 Introduction 15. Standish Voice (henceforth SV), as the Neighbourhood Forum for Standish in Lancashire, has commissioned AECOM to investigate the factors driving housing growth in the village. This project comprises a necessary evidence-gathering stage (known as Technical Facilitation) ahead of a full neighbourhood-level housing need assessment (HNA). 16. The reason why the Technical Facilitation is necessary is that housing development at Standish in recent years has been very active. The level of development, Wigan Council s response to that development and the types of housing that were delivered all require further investigation to provide a basic understanding of the baseline situation for a future HNA. 17. Based on our conversations with SV, the situation is understood to be as follows: Wigan Council s adopted Core Strategy (2013) 5 gives Standish a dwelling target of 1,000 dwellings up to 2026; Since the Core Strategy was adopted, planning permission has been granted at Standish for the development of more than 1,000 dwellings and there are more to come; Some of the permissions were granted by Wigan Council, another two applications were refused by Wigan, then granted on appeal; SV is unhappy with the type of dwellings given permission, which appear to be more aimed at the executive housing market (large, detached dwellings of 4 or more bedrooms) rather than what the NP group feel is needed by local people; Wigan Council is working on a draft SHMA, but this will not be completed until summer 2016; and SV is concerned that even more development of executive housing will come forward unless a Standish-specific housing needs assessment, highlighting the need for more housing for local people, can be produced. 18. We will test and check the assumptions in the bullet points above throughout this report as appropriate. The bullet points then raise the following questions, which we will seek to answer in the report: Why has permission been granted, both by Wigan Council and the Planning Inspectorate, for more than 1,000 units at Standish if the Core Strategy target is 1,000? What are the drivers behind the production of Wigan s draft SHMA given that the Core Strategy was adopted relatively recently? Why has so much executive housing been provided and has either the Planning Inspectorate or Wigan Council expressed any kind of concern about this? If so, what have they said - if not, why not? 5 Available online at Policies/Planning/Adopted-Core-Strategy.pdf

9 AECOM 9 When does the existing SHMA date from, and to what extent did it inform the recent permissions and appeal? Are Wigan open to sharing of relevant information on the forthcoming SHMA to assist our housing needs assessment and enable us to start earlier? 19. It is AECOM s view that answering these questions is in the interest of all parties in order for progress to be made on the neighbourhood plan s housing evidence and policies, and the remainder of this report will focus on these answers.

10 AECOM 10 2 Housing numbers at Standish 20. Policy SP4 of the Wigan Core Strategy states that approximately 1,000 dwellings will be provided on safeguarded land at Standish up to Both the Key Delivery Items table (page 46) and the Indicators table for Policy SP4 (page 117) show that the base date for the 1,000 dwellings at Standish is actually 2011 rather than the Core Strategy publication date of The same Indicators table uses, as a guideline for monitoring, 200 dwellings by 2016, 950 dwellings by 2021 and the full 1,000 by It is therefore the case that housing far in excess of the Core Strategy target has been developed at Standish since Table 1 summarises housing permissions at Standish within the Core Strategy period as of the time of writing (). Table 1: Housing developments with permission or in the pipeline at Standish within the Core Strategy period Site ID Development Developer(s) Number of dwellings 1 Land behind Almond Brook Road 2 Land behind Pepper Lane and the Robin Hill estate 3 Land at the former golf course on Rectory Lane (Phase One) 4 Land at the former golf course on Rectory Lane (Phase Two). 5 Land to the north of Rectory Lane 6 Land off Old Pepper Lane 7 Land at Bradley Hall Trading Estate 8 Land at Almond Pastures, off Almond Brook Road 9 Land off Lurdin Lane, Chorley Road 10 Land off Rectory Lane 11 Land off Langham Road Source: Standish Voice website Status Wainhomes 300 Approved Bloor Homes 300 Approved Morris Homes, Persimmon Homes Morris Homes, Persimmon Homes 250 Approved 250 Refused, then won at appeal Countryside 150 Approved Properties Redrow 39 Approved HIMOR Group 148 Approved Mr. A Taylor 5 Approved Jones Homes 110 Refused, then won at appeal HIMOR Group 128 Being determined Wainhomes 80 Being determined

11 AECOM Standish Voice advise that, in total, there have been 1513 dwellings recently approved at Standish, with a further 208 under consideration as of February 2015 (an application for six more has at the time of writing recently been submitted, but this can be discounted for the purposes of this report). 23. As noted by the Standish Voice website, there are other sites in Standish of safeguarded land which could accommodate about 515 homes, albeit that Wigan Council will only consider these being developed after However, in the meantime, house builders could ask for permission to build on them and take any refused application to appeal. 24. The first topic to investigate is the original justification for Standish having a target of 1,000 dwellings. The Core Strategy (para 8.31) names only three broad locations considered suitable for development, specifically North of Rectory Lane, South of Rectory Lane and Almond Brook. It notes that Standish is not part of the East-West Core 6 and that it is identified as a broad location for new development to assist in meeting housing needs, particularly in the short term and to provide choice. 25. At the Wigan Core Strategy Examination in Public (EiP), the Inspector noted (paragraph 28 of his Report) 7 that housing at Standish would provide the opportunity for affordable housing meeting Standish s need to be provided locally. 26. He further noted (paragraph 98) that it is important to provide sufficient clarity and a reasonable degree of certainty in terms of the scale of development at the broad locations. In the case of Golborne, Lowton and Standish this is particularly important given their crucial role in the supply of housing land, the total capacity of safeguarded land in these settlements and the potential implications for the focus of development on the east-west core. 27. Finally, the Inspector s comments in paragraph 105 are worth quoting: The potential total capacity of safeguarded land at Golborne and Lowton and at Standish significantly exceeds 1,000 dwellings in both cases and I appreciate the Council s concerns in terms of dealing with specific proposals that may come forward in the short term, particularly given the pressing need to release additional housing land supply in advance of the Allocations Plan 8. However, this is to a large extent a direct consequence of the particular circumstances which currently exist in terms of the balance between housing requirements and land supply. Whilst there is a need to modify Policy SP4 to provide more flexibility and to allow for proposals to be approved in advance of the Allocations Plan, the modified policy would also make it clear that such proposals would need to reflect the scale and form of development envisaged in each broad location. (emphasis added) Clear criteria would also be retained to ensure that account was taken of the capacity of local infrastructure, the ability to integrate development with the local community and the ability to deliver the development taking account of site constraints and additional infrastructure needs. 28. A conversation with David Kearsley, Principal Planner at Wigan Council, subsequently confirmed that the two applications that were refused (then allowed at appeal) were refused by the Council on the grounds that permitting them would exceed the Core Strategy target. A review of both appeal decisions is therefore helpful at this point. 6 Policy SP1 of the Core Strategy states that although development will be primarily directed to the East-West Core of the Borough, outside the Core development will be focused on Golborne and Lowton as well as Standish. 7 Available online at Inspectors-Report-pdf.pdf 8 At the time of writing, the Allocations Plan is still being developed, and is at Initial Draft stage.

12 AECOM 12 Planning appeal on land at the former golf course on Rectory Lane (Phase Two) 29. This appeal has the reference number APP/V4250/W/15/ and the decision to allow development is dated 26th August It was agreed by all parties that the Council was unable, at the time of the appeal, to demonstrate a five-year supply of land allocated for housing development. According to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) paragraph 47, a local authority unable to demonstrate a five-year supply is vulnerable to speculative developer applications, as at that point, the NPPF s presumption in favour of sustainable development is triggered. 31. The Inspector noted that the Council s grounds for refusal were that development would exceed the Core Strategy target for Standish and that the spatial strategy (whereby most development is directed to the East-West Corridor, including the town of Wigan itself but excluding Standish). Broadly speaking, he accepted that this was reasonable, but that the lack of housing land supply across the borough as a whole effectively rendered this policy ineffective 10, and that this appeal and other recent developments would not cause material harm to the focus on the East-West Corridor in the Core Strategy or the prospect of brownfield land coming forward there as opposed to this greenfield site at Standish. 32. He further concluded that the development needed to be assessed against the plan as a whole, and so notwithstanding its poor performance against Policy SP4, it did not conflict with the Plan s other policies. 33. Finally, the inspector noted that, at the time of the appeal, the neighbourhood planning process was at too early a stage to be a material factor in his decision. Planning appeal on land off Lurdin Lane, Chorley Road 34. This appeal has the reference number APP/V4250/W/14/ and the decision to allow development is dated 26th August It was determined simultaneously with the appeal summarised above. 35. Like the previous appeal, it was refused by the Council on the grounds of its cumulative impact on Standish, and like in the previous appeal, it was accepted by all parties that not only was the Council unable to demonstrate a five-year supply of housing on allocated sites, but also that there was significant under-provision of housing from previous years. 36. In terms of the housing policy context, the Inspector s other conclusions on this appeal were identical to those on the previous appeal. What is notable is that there was no discussion of housing types at either appeal, as the issues considered focused more on housing numbers and the spatial distribution of those houses. 9 Decision notice available at 10 As per NPPF paragraph Decision notice available at

13 AECOM 13 3 Housing type at Standish 37. The inspector referenced in neither of the two appeals summarised above the implications of the Greater Manchester SHMA 2010, which was the most recent evidence available on housing quantity and type at the time of the appeal. Indeed, there was very little, if any, reference to the type of housing being proposed in either appeal, as both were outline applications, with housing type being reserved for separate determination at a later date. 38. Now that the appeals have been allowed, it is instructive to see that the developments are being marketed as containing particular types of housing despite the fact that in neither case have reserved matters yet been applied for. The Rectory Lane development, for example, is being marketed by Persimmon as The Fairways and has its own website 12, according to which the development offers, among other advantages: A choice of two, three and four-bedroom homes Good access to the motorway network A choice of good quality schooling nearby 39. Below these bullet points, the development is claimed to offer a mixture of house types to suit first time buyers, professionals, couples, families and those wishing to downsize. 40. This is broadly in line with the Environmental Statement submitted as part of the application, which states that The homes will mostly be 2 or 2.5 storeys, with front and back gardens and parking. The mix is not yet fixed but will include terraced, semi-detached and detached homes up to 5 beds, and 25% affordable Meanwhile, at Lurdin Lane, the planning statement submitted as part of the application 14 states: The development will include a mix of types of two-storey housing mainly comprising family homes providing both open market and affordable dwellings. The gross density of development on the site would be just over 30 dwellings per hectare. Car parking will be provided in proportion to the size of each dwelling with a minimum of 150% for two bedroomed dwellings and 200% for larger dwellings. All dwellings will have access to their own private garden areas. 42. Table 2 sets out available information on the mix of housing types on these and the other developments given permission recently. 12 See 13 Available online at 14 Available online at:

14 AECOM 14 Table 2: Available information on dwelling type at recent developments in Standish Site ID Development Developer(s) Available information on dwelling type 1 Land behind Almond Brook Road 2 Land behind Pepper Lane and the Robin Hill estate 3 Land at the former golf course on Rectory Lane (Phase One) 4 Land at the former golf course on Rectory Lane (Phase Two). 5 Land to the north of Rectory Lane 6 Land off Old Pepper Lane 7 Land at Bradley Hall Trading Estate 9 Land off Lurdin Lane, Chorley Road 10 Land off Rectory Lane 11 Land off Langham Road TOTAL Wainhomes Unspecified mix of 298 three, four and five bedroom homes Bloor Homes 185 four bedroom market homes, 40 three bed market homes; 75 affordable homes, of which 21 three bed, 52 two bed and 2 one bed Morris Homes, Persimmon Homes Morris Homes, Persimmon Homes Countryside Properties Redrow HIMOR Group Jones Homes HIMOR Group Wainhomes 3 five bedroom homes, 63 four bedroom homes, 26 three bedroom homes, 1 two bedroom home (see above) 34 three bedroom market homes, 71 four bedroom market homes, 8 five bedroom market homes, and 37 affordable homes, of which 22 three bed and 15 two bed 29 four bed and 8 three bed homes 148 dwellings, of which 20 two bedroom homes, 85 three bedroom homes and 43 four bedroom homes. 110 mainly family homes 128 market homes of unspecified type 80 two to five bed houses 728 dwellings whose size is known, of which: 2 (0.3%) one bedroom, 88 (12%) two bedroom, 236 (32.4%) three bedroom, 391 (53.7%) four bedroom and 48 (6.6%) five bedroom. Sources: Planning statement for each development at AECOM calculations

15 AECOM 15 4 Position of Wigan Council 43. As noted in our review of the two appeal decisions, Wigan Council opposed development exceeding the 1,044 dwellings at Standish that had already been given permission, on the basis of its impact on the Core Strategy s spatial distribution, whereby the aim was to direct most development to the largely brownfield sites in the East-West Corridor. 44. Unfortunately, as we have seen above, the Inspector at the appeals did not consider that allowing further development at Standish would cause material harm to the spatial strategy and that Wigan s lack of a five-year supply of housing supply was felt to tip the balance in favour of a presumption in favour of sustainable development, as per the NPPF. 45. Having discussed the situation with the Council, it appears that they are almost as frustrated with the outcome of the appeals as Standish Voice. AECOM spoke to David Kearsley, the Council s Principal Planning Officer, who stated that the preparation of the emerging Wigan SHMA was driven in part by the recognition that, as highlighted by these lost appeals, more upto-date and detailed evidence on housing need across the Borough was required, particularly given that the previous best available evidence was the Greater Manchester SHMA Update The Council stated that, although the draft SHMA was not complete at the time of writing (), the delay is explained largely by ongoing debate with relevant stakeholders over the quantity rather than the type of housing needed. This is good news for Standish Voice, as the Council indicate therefore that the draft SHMA s conclusions on housing type are likely to stand. As such, an HNA could be prepared to inform SV s neighbourhood plan policies on housing even before the SHMA is scheduled to be officially complete in June Wigan Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (Wigan Council, 2015) 47. We have reviewed the Wigan Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA), which comprises the Council s main evidence on the supply side- i.e. those sites submitted to the SHLAA by landowners/developers wishing to promote them for housing development. The SHLAA shows that all of the sites in Standish submitted had, by the time of writing (February 2016) either been given permission for development or were being determined, with the exceptions of the following: Land North of Victoria Colliery, off Cranleigh (owned by Ainscough Strategic Land). 16 Land to rear of 43-99a Pepper Lane (owned by Bloor Homes and Persimmon Homes) 17 Land rear of Rowton Rise (owned by Seddon Homes) The Victoria Colliery site, at over 15 hectares and with an assessed capacity of 306 homes, is large scale. As such, this could be a factor in it not being developed before 2026 given the existing over-supply at Standish in Core Strategy terms, though again it is Wigan Council being 15 Available online at ma_update_may_2010.pdf 16 See SHLAA Appendix G, Part 3, site reference SHLAA0274, available online at Studies/WiganStrategicHousingLandAvailabilityAssessment.aspx 17 See same document, site reference SHLAA See same document, site reference SHLAA0276

16 AECOM 16 able to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply that would be one of the most important factors in avoiding development here in the medium term. 49. However, the Rowton Rise and Pepper Lane developments, with capacity for 75 and 144 homes respectively, could come forward in a shorter timescale as it would be relatively easy to promote them for development and then develop, in the continuing absence of a five-year housing land supply. 50. The SHLAA has a base date of 1 April 2015 and was subject to consultation between June and July The fact that it is a recent assessment is on the face of it reassuring in the sense that apart from the three sites noted above, it could be assumed there are no other sites in or around Standish being promoted for development in the near future. However, in some circumstances, developers may choose to hold back a site they wish to promote for a variety of reasons, so this is by no means guaranteed. The requirement to demonstrate a five-year supply of housing land 51. A review of the two applications currently being determined shows that on one of the two (specifically, Wainhomes application for land off Langham Road), the applicant is claiming that Wigan still cannot demonstrate a five-year supply of housing land. The Planning Statement 19 states (paragraphs ): 52. The SHLAA claims that the Council is able to identify sites for 7,469 dwellings over the five year period between 1 April 2015 to 31 March However, the five year supply requirement is identified as 8,902, [and thus the SHLAA s 7,469 dwellings equate to a] 4.2 year supply. Consequently, the SHLAA acknowledges that the Council is currently unable to demonstrate a deliverable five year housing land supply. 53. As SV may be aware, the NPPF s requirement on local authorities to be able to demonstrate a five-year supply of housing land has led to numerous disputes between Councils and developers (both at appeals and Examinations in Public) over whether the Council really can demonstrate a five-year supply or not. 54. This tends particularly to be the case where the actual figure is close to five, as it is claimed to be by Wainhomes in this case. Later in the Planning Statement, a more detailed calculation of five-year supply, including, as required by the NPPF, a 20% buffer to allow for under-delivery in the past, reduces the claimed supply to 4.1 years, and the applicant claims this is a best-case scenario. 55. The applicant also quotes the Inspector at the recent Inquiry (para. 6.12), who concluded that the Council s supply is unlikely to be greater than around 3.7 years (as at August and notwithstanding the Council s own assessment in the SHLAA that there is between 4.32 and 5.14 years supply) 20. Finally, the applicant concludes: As a result, planning applications for housing development benefit from the added presumption in favour of sustainable housing development. This means that applications should only be refused if the adverse impacts of doing so would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits (Paragraph 14 of the National Planning Policy Framework). 56. AECOM contacted Wigan Council to determine the Council s view on current years supply of available housing land. The Council informed us that the position has not changed since the publication of the SHLAA and the Summer 2015 appeals; in other words, it remains the case 19 Application reference A/15/81542, available online at 20 SHLAA page 13.

17 AECOM 17 that there is no demonstrable five-year housing land supply in Wigan, and therefore the claims of the applicant are substantially correct. 57. Moreover, and unfortunately for Standish, there seems little prospect of land in the East-West Corridor, owned by the Council or others, being brought forward over and above the SHLAA sites in the foreseeable future; the Council blame paragraph 49 of the NPPF 21 incentivising developers to avoid tackling more difficult brownfield sites in cases where the presumption in favour of development applies, as it does at present in Wigan given that there is no demonstrable five-year supply of housing land. 58. The Council do, however, point out that more homes at Standish would not, however, improve the five-year supply position given that development would be likely to occur in the 6-10 year window in any case. They would not increase the delivery rate over the next five years, which is already sufficient given the existing permissions, and will simply be banked for the 6-10 year period. Standish Infrastructure Assessment (Wigan Council, 2013) 59. A Standish Infrastructure Assessment (SIA) 22 was produced by Wigan Council in Part of the evidence base to inform planning decisions rather than a policy document, its aim is to demonstrate the infrastructure considerations and improvements that would need to accompany development of up to 1,000 homes at the Standish broad location as per the Core Strategy. 60. The SIA concludes (para 9.1) that the impact of development on the local transport network, including highways, public transport and walking and cycling, is the most fundamental consideration when determining how development should be distributed across Standish. The impacts on other elements of infrastructure are less geographical specific and do not change fundamentally wherever development is located within the broad location. 61. The Inspector at the Rectory Lane and Lurdin Lane planning appeals stated (paragraph 53 of both his Decision Notices) that he had taken the SIA into account in his decision-making. By implication, therefore, he found nothing within it to alter his conclusion that both applications should be allowed, even though it supported development of up to 1,000 units, and by allowing both appeals, development at Standish has now substantially exceeded this ceiling. 62. Specifically, he noted that the traffic and transport improvements it required were now being implemented, and in terms of education infrastructure he noted (para 58 of both his Decision Notices) that since the preparation of the SIA, classrooms at Shevington High School, which serves Standish, had been closed due to excess capacity, providing, in his view, evidence that the transport and education impact of both applications could be dealt with appropriately. 63. The SIA also states (para 1.2) that Policy SP4 identifies Standish as a broad location for new housing development with approximately 1,000 new homes on safeguarded land to However there is capacity for double that amount of housing on safeguarded land in Standish and there are parties interested in developing most, if not all of it. 64. However, despite this accurate statement, the SIA does not otherwise address the implications for infrastructure if the target of 1,000 dwellings at Standish were to be exceeded, and in this sense, the door was left open for developer-submitted evidence of manageable infrastructure impact once the target of 1,000 was exceeded. As this evidence was indeed successful in persuading the Inspector to grant permission at Lurdin Lane and Rectory Lane, the time may 21 Housing applications should be considered in the context of the presumption in favour of sustainable development. Relevant policies for the supply of housing should not be considered up-to-date if the local planning authority cannot demonstrate a five-year supply of deliverable housing sites. 22 Available online at Control/StandishInfrastructureAssessmentNov2013.pdf

18 AECOM 18 now be ripe for an update to the SIA on the basis of developments at Standish since it was originally drafted, and this is covered in our recommendations below. Wigan Allocations and Development Management Local Plan (Emerging, Wigan Council, 2015) 65. The Council has summarised its position on future development on Standish in a new Policy H3: Further Housing Development in Standish in its emerging Allocations and Development Management Local Plan 23. Policy H3 states that: Further housing development on safeguarded land in Standish will only be permitted if: 1. 80% of the homes already permitted on safeguarded land as at 13 October 2015 have been developed and occupied in line with their respective planning permissions, 2. All of the necessary infrastructure works required through legal agreements for that level of housing have been completed and implemented, and 3. It is demonstrably evidenced that further housing development can be accommodated across the full range of transport, health, education, open space, community and utility infrastructure without detriment to the character and well-being of Standish as a viable place to live, work and visit. Prior to any additional development on remaining safeguarded land at Rectory Lane (south), a strategic green infrastructure corridor shall be provided between Rectory Lane and Fairhurst Lane, linking to the open space at the former Victoria Colliery site. 66. In the comments received by the Council on this policy, Standish Voice were welcoming of the policy but sought: The figure in 1 to be raised to 90% The words that level of housing in 2 to be amended to all the housing already permitted on safeguarded land as of 13 th October 2015 An additional point 4 stating Unless a local housing needs study concludes that a specific housing need has been identified within Standish. 67. Some of the other comments on the proposed policy were from housing developers, as follows: 68. Persimmon Homes commented, in respect of their landholding at Pepper Lane. They objected to the site not being allocated and stated that they considered the criteria within the draft policy to be flawed because additional development within Standish would provide an opportunity to address affordable housing shortfalls in Standish and the immediate area. They quoted the Core Strategy Inspector, who commented that the safeguarded land was required to meet identified housing needs and in particular to provide a realistic prospect of a five-year supply of housing land. However, Persimmon concedes that its land is not part of the safeguarded land. 69. HIMOR also commented on the draft policy in respect of their landholding east of Rectory Farm in Standish, forming part of the safeguarded land. They argue that the criteria in draft policy H3 are unjustified, as follows: the requirement for 80% of the committed dwellings to be complete before further development is unnecessary as impact assessment at the time of determination of both the committed and any further dwellings would be sufficient, and a further criterion is unnecessary; 23 Available online at

19 AECOM 19 the cumulative infrastructure impact of all developments would also need to be considered at application stage anyway; and it is not justified that these requirements apply to Standish alone- they should apply to development across the Borough. 70. A further comment was submitted by Persimmon Homes and Morris Homes jointly. It argued that: The choice of 80% as a threshold appears arbitrary, inflexible and does not consider the impact of further appeals prior to the adoption of the (currently emerging) plan The requirement for necessary infrastructure to be in place does not sufficiently distinguish between infrastructure necessary at site-specific level or necessary at a settlement-wide level, and the former should not be used as a reason to limit development on other sites; and The third criterion unnecessarily replicates Policy SP4 of the Core Strategy, which states that proposals need to take account of infrastructure impact. 71. Permission and Morris Homes also cited the recent appeal decisions in that the Inspector did not indicate that Standish is at the limit of its capacity to absorb development. They cited the fact that safeguarded land was specifically identified for the settlement s growth as evidence that this is not the case, and also evidence that Standish with Langtree ward is amongst the least affordable within Wigan, as indicated in the Wigan SHMA. 72. Seddon Homes also commented on the policy in respect of land at Rowton Rise. Again, they quoted the Inspector at the recent appeals and argued that limiting housing growth at Standish would be unlikely to slow the delivery of new housing in the East West Core. Specifically, they argue that Policy H3 is not positively prepared and that it is contrary to NPPF paragraph 47 (which seeks to boost significantly the supply of housing ), Core Strategy Policy SD1 (a presumption in favour of sustainable development) and NPPF para 14 (which is supportive of flexibility in plan-making). 73. Finally, Seddon Homes cite, in a similar way to other developers, the fact that policy should not be used to determine the infrastructure impact of proposals, as this is a matter for the development management process. Finally, they argue for an updated Wigan SHMA, as they feel this would be more supportive of new housing development.

20 AECOM 20 5 Current housing need evidence base 74. The current housing need evidence base for Standish therefore appears to consist of the 2010 Greater Manchester SHMA Update and the emerging 2016 Wigan SHMA. A brief review of these documents could be helpful at this stage prior to a more detailed assessment of implications of the 2016 SHMA within a forthcoming Standish HNA. Greater Manchester SHMA Update (2010) 75. The Greater Manchester SHMA Update, though very high-level and as such not mentioning Standish by name, includes a number of conclusions of relevance that SV could in fact deploy immediately to argue for a more appropriate housing mix for applications where it is yet to be determined. Its conclusions do not appear particularly supportive of large-scale provision of high-end executive/family housing in the sense that they include the following: (page 56) There is a continued need to diversify the housing offer available; (page 56) Demand for social rented stock remains high and in particular for family accommodation; supply is not meeting this demand however (page 57) Bridging the affordability gap should remain as a priority for Greater Manchester. Despite significant falls in average house prices, the lack of accessible finance means that in practice housing remains unaffordable for many. 76. More specifically for Wigan, the SHMA Update notes: (page 26) Wigan consistently has the lowest average house prices for detached properties (which could be an indicator of low demand, high supply or both- either way, it factors against further large-scale provision of detached properties); (page 36) Wigan has the highest proportion of semi-detached properties in Greater Manchester (46.5%) but the lowest proportion of flats (7.5%) (page 37) Wigan has the highest proportion of 5-6 room houses in Greater Manchester (58.4%) but less than the GM average provision of 1-4 room houses- indeed, Wigan has the lowest level of 1-2 bedroom houses in Greater Manchester. Emerging Wigan Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) (2016) 77. The emerging SHMA 24 and its specific implications for development at Standish will be interrogated fully as part of Standish s forthcoming Housing Needs Assessment. However, the key headlines with relevance for Standish are as follows: (page 29) Standish is listed as among the areas of Wigan with higher levels of owner occupation and semi-detached and detached properties than the borough average. These areas also have stronger links with neighbouring areas as people are more mobile, have good access to motorways and trunk roads and commute longer distances than people in the inner area; (page 35) Standish has a high proportion of family households; 24 Available online at

21 AECOM 21 (page 40) Standish is wealthier than the Borough average; (page 63) Standish has higher house prices than the Borough average; (page 69-70) Standish had the fourth lowest level of housing completions in the Borough between 2005 and 2014, with only 182 in total over this period (a rate of just over 20 dwellings per year); (page 82) That as a result of the above factors, Standish with Langtree is now the fifth least affordable ward in the Borough, with an affordability index of 7.1 (the Borough average is 6.5) (page 141) Perhaps unsurprisingly, affordable housing demand in Standish is high- as noted on page 142, it currently has only 10% social housing, the seventh-lowest in the Borough, and significantly less than the Borough average (17.35%) (page 181) In line with the Borough average increase of 23.65%, the number of pensioners in Standish with Langtree ward increased by 23.2% between 2001 and 2011, but as an absolute percentage (page 183) the ward has the third highest proportion of pensioners in the Borough. 78. The most important point for Standish is the SHMA s more general conclusion (pages 204 and 205) that states: the homes delivered need to be suitable for the needs of all households in the borough. The assessment has shown a range of housing need, including single people, families with children, and the elderly and vulnerable groups. The average household size in the borough is reducing and there is now a growing mismatch between the supply of homes and reducing family size.the predominant house type in the borough is three bedroom semi-detached and the majority of new delivery is of larger family sized homes which will not meet the needs of smaller households. A high proportion of pensioner households are living in large houses which may be better suited to families with children. Consultation with estate agents has confirmed that many older households are keen to downsize, for both financial and quality of life reasons, but are frustrated by the lack of attractive down-sizing options available locally.. as the proportion of older people in Wigan increases, so will their level of housing need. An ageing population will also increase demand for housing related support and other health and social care services to enable older residents to remain in their own homes for longer. It is therefore important to promote the development of suitable housing tenures and types, including specialist supported housing solutions, to meet the needs of our ageing population and to mitigate some of the increases in demand for these services. Therefore, there will need to be a greater need for smaller accommodation of the type to meet future households needs, particularly elderly households.options to address these challenges include: Promoting the development of independent living options for older people, including specialist and supported housing solutions that offer more cost effective and better quality care solutions. Expand support services and aids and adaptations to enable older people to remain in their own homes for longer